This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from an application entitled Display Unit and Notebook Computer Using the Unit earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Mar. 13, 1999, and there duly assigned Ser. No.99-8511 by that Office.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer and, more particularly to a display unit of a portable computer that is capable of using the same rear display case irrespective of the size of the display unit.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Many portable computers use a liquid crystal display (LCD) device for displaying video images. The LCD device includes a liquid crystal panel, a back light unit and a driving circuit board. The back light unit has a luminescent lamp, a lamp housing having a U-shape and surrounding the lamp, light guide, a reflector reflecting the incidental light from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction, a protection sheet contacting the light guide, a first prism sheet and a second prism sheet set on the protecting sheet and condensing the incident light from the light guide to some direction, a diffuser diffusing the light from the first and second prisms to viewing area of the liquid crystal panel with a certain viewing angle, and support frame supporting these elements.
When the fluorescent lamp is turned on, the light from the source is reflected by the lamp housing surrounding the fluorescent lamp. The reflected light transmits through the cross-section toward the other side of the light-guiding plate as indicated by the arrows. Then, the light spreads all over the surface of the light-guiding plate and reaches the display area through the diffusion plate. At the same time, a thin film transistor formed on the liquid crystal panel controls a corresponding pixel according to the signals from the driving circuit to selectively transmit the light which collectively realizes the display of images on the display area.
An exemplar of the prior art is Yun et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,139, Computer Having Liquid Crystal Display Between Frames Attached at the Edges, Nov. 10, 1998) is illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a liquid crystal display device 500 has a front case 510, a rear case 520, and a liquid crystal panel 530. The liquid crystal panel 530 includes a display part 534 and support frame 532 surrounding the display part 534. The display part 534 is exposed through an opening 512 of the front case 510. At the side surface of the rear case 520, a pair of rear screw holes 522 are formed. Similarly, at the side surface of the liquid crystal panel 530, a pair of panel screw holes 532 are formed. The rear case 520 and the liquid crystal display panel 530 are joined to each other by fastening devices such as screws 540 through the rear screw holes and the panel screw holes.
The front case 510 is coupled to the combination member of the rear case 520 and the liquid crystal display panel 530. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid crystal display device 500 is mounted to base 610 of the portable computer 600. The liquid crystal panel 530 is coupled to the rear case 520 using the screw, which passed through the panel screw holes and the rear screw holes.
As mentioned above, the size of the front and rear case depend on the liquid display panel. For example, when a 12.1xe2x80x3 LCD panel is produced, a case designed to fit the 12.1xe2x80x3 LCD panel is simultaneously produced to support the 12.1xe2x80x3 LCD panel. For the above reason, 12.1xe2x80x3 LCD panel is not coupled to a case designed to fit the 13.3xe2x80x3 LCD. As the size of the LCD panel is changed, the case corresponding to the size of the LCD panel is individually designed and produced, which prolongs the term of the development time of the new model of the portable computer. Therefore, when cases are changed according to the different sizes of the LCD panels, a raise in the production cost is brought.
Other exemplar art are Itazawa (U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,756, Display Apparatus with Corner Holding Plates, May 20, 1997), Miyamototo et al. (Liquid Crystal Panel Unit Having Liquid Crystal Affixed to Panel Fixing Using Adhesive and Height-Regulating Pins, Dec. 24, 1996), Hasegawa, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,224, Liquid Crystal Display Having Video Signal Driving Circuit Mounted on One Side, Sep. 29, 1998), Kim (Method of Mounting Liquid Crystal Display Module and Apparatus Thereof, Feb. 16, 1999), Sasuga et al (U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,183, Structure of Liquid Crystal Display Device for Easy Assembly and Disassembly, Oct. 21, 1997), Horiuchi et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,310, Lighting Device, Mar. 17, 1998), and Kurihara et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,061, Fixture and Fixing of LCD Panel, Aug. 31, 1999), Murai (U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,726, Flat Panel Display Device, Nov. 16, 1999). None of the above mentioned patents teach how to avoid having to change the display housing as the liquid crystal display changes size.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable computer capable of using the same rear case irrespective of the size of the display unit.
It is another object to speed up the manufacturing and design process when a new sized liquid crystal display is used.
It is a further object to mount a liquid crystal display easily and efficiently.
It is yet another object to have a stable housing for a display unit while being able to accommodate multiple types of display units.
In order to attain the above objects, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display unit of a portable computer having a flat panel display including a display zone at a front surface and both side walls having at least one hole thereon, and a lower housing for incorporating the flat panel display. The lower housing has each one of the two side walls having at least one hole corresponding to at least one hole of the flat panel display. An upper housing having an opening for viewing the liquid crystal display is coupled to the lower housing. There is at least one adjusting member for holding the flat panel display. The adjusting member is located between the lower housing and the flat panel display to fill up a gap between the lower housing and the flat panel display. The adjusting member has at least one hole thereon corresponding to at least one hole of the flat panel display. Further, a fixing member is used for holding the lower housing, the adjusting member and the flat panel housing together.
The adjusting member has a first portion arranged in parallel to a side wall of the flat panel display and at least one protrusion formed on a side surface of the first portion. At least one protrusion includes a hole.
Furthermore, in the display unit, the fixing member includes a screw, which is gradually passed through at least one hole of the lower housing and the hole of the protrusion and inserted into the hole of the flat panel display to be coupled to the flat panel display.